Narinjara News
Akyab, April 11
Arakanese new year festival is knocking at the
door
The Arakanese
new year festival, Thun Gram, will be held on April
17th, and the entire Arakanese population of the Arakan state and
Thun Gram is an Arakanese word
descended from Pali, the Prakrit
language of the Buddhist Scriptures, which translates as “period of transition”
from the old to the New Year. According to the Arakanese
calendar, the current year is 1366 (ending April 16th), and the new year of
1367 will begin on April 17th, New Years Day.
According Arakanese
tradition, in the final three days of the ending year, water festival
celebrations are held in towns and villages throughout Arakan
state. In the period running up to the water festival, Arakanese
people visit Buddhist monasteries to bathe the many statues of Buddha images in
perfumed water. This is intended to cleanse the images.
In Arakanese
culture, people can begin the water festival by throwing water at each other
only after this cleaning process is complete. Additionally, old people visit
Buddhist temples and monasteries to seek Kutho
(virtuous action) by repeating the Buddhist precepts recited by monks each year
at this time.
The water festival is a good
opportunity for unmarried young men to attract the attention of their
sweethearts by throwing water at them. At this time parents are not entitled to
interfere in the affairs of their sons and daughters.
This year at the water festival
in Akyab alone, there will be participants from at
least 80 women’s water-games societies, and over 100 men’s water-throwing
clubs. There will also be a large number of dance shows, at which decorated
floats will participate.
According to Akyab residents, there will be many performances of Thun Gram songs, music and dance at the water festival.
It is hoped that the sound
from this will spread, and encourage people everywhere to join happily in the
New Year celebrations.
At this time, Arakanese people can forget all the problems of their every
day lives, as they look forward to their good life in the coming New Year. #
For further information,
please contact Narinjara:
Phone: 880 189 42 55 36 (
E-mail: narinjara@yahoo.com/narinjara@narinjara.com
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GPO,
Website http://www.narinjara.com
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